Coturnix Quail Basics- Information and Pictures Galore

[Daox13]

Wow I love this thread... Just Started looking into getting a few quails and hatching them out... I have written a thread asking a bunch of questions... If anyone has any spare time to help a newbi that would be great..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/849365/new-to-quails-and-need-advice

 

[nicoleandeliceo]

This was sooo helpful. We're newbie quail hatchers and learned so much! Thanks!

 

[Chickensplease]

I am pretty new to raising Coturnix quail. I have a few questions, I have had them about two weeks, when I had gotten them the seller said they were 5 wks. My girls are laying eggs. but some have a white coat on them form what I have read it sounds like calcium deposit. I am feeding them turkey starter for this is what the breeder was feeding them, but am wondering if this is why they eggs have the coat on them. 2nd I am finding feathers in the cage and is this normal? They are not fighting, thank goodness. I have my 3 boys separate from my 7 girls. also I am using wood chips. and I was wondering if that could be the reason. because they enjoy rolling it them. Any help I would appreciate.

 

[Ironsun10]

Hi,

I wount'nt worry about the white coating, it will sort itself out soon. I would change their food for a layer's ration to give them the calcium they need.

At around 7/8 weeks old your birds will start to moult, they are only getting rid of the "baby" feathers, so again, nothing to worry about.

Ironsun.

 

[Chickensplease]

Thank you Ironsun10, It makes me feel much better. Will change the food this weekend.

 

[Flowers of Abba]

Therry, very pretty!!!!


I was wondering when I can move my quail outside?  I keep hearing all these horror stories about heat lamps causing major fires.  Right now its like 50s/60s during the day and usually 40s at night, some nights it gets down in the 30s.  I randomly decided I wanted quail and ordered eggs, I didn't really think about it being winter.  I'm too impulsive for my own good!!!

I do not use heat lamps on our quail . ( only our serama get the lamps when It drops below 20 ) if you do - string hooks and tie the cord along it so if the lamp comes loose it won't hit the ground...
We put the quail in their apartments when they're 6 weeks. Until then they live in the house. They were fine during our -14 week and our lows average 10-20 . During the day we open their apartment door and they fly Into there little 4-6 run. I do not use hard cloth as it's a rip off! We use poultry wire or stucco wire. We go collect waters and put everyone ( chickens and quail) in their coops at dusk. No frozen water or birds;-)

 

[dutchbunny83]

Help again!
My quail are about 6 weeks old. Not very big, no eggs yet (though I've never seen a quail so honestly I don't know how big they get anyway, but mine seem really small even for quail).

I had way more hatch then I ever anticipated. I have them separated out now, but I still have more together than I wanted & an abundance of extra boys. When can I process them?

If I were to sell extras for space what would the average price be? And do you sell them per bird or like 1 boy and 4 girls? I don't even know if there would be a market, but they need to be processed or sold besides the ones I am keeping because they are getting overcrowded which defeats the purpose of my raising my own meat.

Oh, also, do you all pluck or skin your quail. My husband got to skin the turkeys & we ground the meat just because it was so time consuming to pluck. I've never had quail before didn't know if you need the skin. I'm googling processing now...

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My biggest are around 13 oz live weight. I skin mine, usually takes 5 minutes a bird or less to clean.

This is a very good link & how I process mine.
I sell quads for $15. If they buy a larger quantity I will go as low as $3 a bird.
Most of mine haven't laid sooner than 8-9 weeks.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Thank you so much!
I think I'm going to go ahead and process versus attempting to sell. They eat so much I already have way more than that into them in food in just 6 weeks!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Thank you so much!
I think I'm going to go ahead and process versus attempting to sell. They eat so much I already have way more than that into them in food in just 6 weeks!

LOL yep they can get eeeeexpensive if you keep them long. I have had as many as 60 at a time, probably more!
Hi protein feed is not cheap. I am starting sprouting for them, have millet and some other grains. Doing it for all the poultry.
Really enjoy the little guys, some of the roo's are even friendly to me and cllimb all over my hands.